Manicure Inspiration: 10 Amazing Bookish Nail Art Tutorials

I have the artistic talent of a thumbless marsupial and a complete inability to function with long nails. My perpetual manicure-less state makes me look upon people who create amazing nail art with a certain degree of awe. I mean, I can barely apply a coat of nude polish neatly, much less create a work of art on a canvas the size of a nail bed.

Here are some of my favorite bookish nail art tutorials from around the web. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably end up with an unidentifiable blob of polish on your nails…but, hey, at least you tried.

I thought about saving the best for last but I can’t wait that long. This nail art has everything: dementors, glow in the dark nail polish, insanely detailed brush strokes.

2. Comic Book Nail Art

These comic book action bubble nails are infinitely more achievable than the aforementioned Harry Potter nails, which is to say that if you are somewhat artistically inclined, you might actually be able to pull this off.

There are quite a few Hunger Games nail art tutorials but this one is my favorite. I like that it uses blue instead of the traditional black and gold colors from the first book.

4. Jungle Book Nail Art

This Disneyfied version of The Jungle Book is colorful and cute…if you can pull it off.

5. Elvish Script Nail Art

There are numerous Lord of the Ringsnail art tutorials out there. I personally like the Elvish script look, though you could also try this Middle-earth nail art or this super-advanced glow-in-the-dark Eye of Sauron tutorial (by the same artist who created the Harry Potter dementor nail art).